Sport Administration Alumni offer advice at panel

Bobby Shorthouse
Guest Writer
rshortho@lhup.edu

Photo courtesy of Bobby Shorthouse

Lock Haven, PA– Lock Haven University’s Sports Administration Department had an alumni discussion panel on Thursday where six alums came back to discuss how they were able to make it from a small-time school and secure important roles in other businesses.

Courtesy of Carl Poff, who organizes this event every year, the alumni panel has become an annual event that has helped benefit students when they go out to try and secure jobs or internships. Each person of the panel were able to make themselves stand out amongst a field pool of many other candidates and, because of LHU, were able to acquire the position they are in today. The panel was consisted of Scott Kemps, Associate Director of Public at the University of Michigan; Katie McConnell, Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach; Jordan Semmel, Game Operations at Bucknell University; Corine Stefankiewicz, Youth Sports Complex Director; John Nally and Bill Richards, Group Sales for the Reading Fighting Phils.

Richard Lally, PhD said, “This is probably the most beneficial and most important event our department holds every year. I feel you learn more from those who have gone out and secured great positions more so than learning from us professors in a class room.”

The discussion consisted of audience members asking various questions of how the panel members were able to get to where they are. Each question was answered in a very well-detailed fashion. When asked, “How are you able to produce your brand in a new way to reach out to customers?”, Kemps was first to speak saying that “it is all about knowing what your customers interests are. You have to know their appeal to give them what they want.”

Richards received the question, “what are your own personal ways to make it through a work day?” He respectively replied, “I live on my four key points to success, be goal driven, networking is everything, persevere any obstacle thrown at you and above all, time management.”

Nally jumped on the question, “Where do you find your daily motivation?” He replied, “I set five goals everyday. Once I finish those goals, I know it was a good day. But if I am only able to even do four of the five, than I wasted my time that day.”

Stefankiewicz, Semmel and McConnell all responded to the question, “How do you overcome the intimidation factor of being a woman in a male-dominant field?” McConnell was first with her answer. She said, “Do anything here at LHU now to differentiate yourself from the rest of the field.” Semmel quickly followed with, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more questions you ask, the more you can learn.” Stefankiewicz finally ended the panel discussion with her answer, “Believe in your skill set. If you are confident in yourself, than you can attack the world with a chip on your shoulder.”

After the discussion was finished, students were invited to meet the panel and ask personal, one-on-one questions. Jack Felt said, “I loved this. Many great questions were answered by even better answers. This has been very helpful and eye opening to me.”